Suffield Economic and Community Development tours for developers aid town in bringing in new building projects

SUFFIELD – Frank DeMarinis, owner of Sage Engineering & Contracting of Westfield, had plans to build an assisted living senior housing complex in the area, but he hadn’t yet found the right location. That was until Suffield Economic and Community Development Director Patrick McMahon told him about the perfect property, right along Route 75 in the town
center.

“He’s done a great job working with all the players,” DeMarinis said of McMahon.

“They had a master plan in the center of town’s village district, to create a village-like atmosphere, and he tries to get everybody to work together and go after that long term goal.”

DeMarinis, whose firm developed the 26-unit independent living facility known as the Bissell Inn, has been able to build his relationship with McMahon and the town of Suffield through McMahon’s Familiarization Tour of Planned Development Industrial Park land.

Started in 2009 and offered once or twice a year, the tours bring realtors, state and regional economic development professionals, builders and developers, architects and engineers, together for an up-close look at several different development-ready properties.

The latest tour, being offered on Wednesday morning, will feature about 20 properties in the vicinity of Bradley International Airport, industrial land off of Route 159 and mixed-use opportunities in the Suffield town center. The program involves an hour-and-a-half chartered bus tour, and ends with lunch and a nine-hole round of golf at the Suffield Country Club.

There is no fee to participate.

McMahon said he started the tours as a way to get the word out to the right people.

“Print advertising has its place, but this is an easier way to market it and get these properties in front of the right people,” he said. “We’ve invited architectural and engineering firm representatives with the idea that they have clients and if they saw the land, next time one of their clients says, ‘I could really use so much land or this size building,’ they would remember what we have to offer here in Suffield.”

Some of the properties being highlighted on the upcoming tour are in the vicinities of Marketing Drive, Firestone Drive, Suffield Street, and in the Mach One Industrial Park.

McMahon will tout the creation of the new Bradley Airport Development Zone, which becomes effective Oct. 1 under state law. The zone includes land adjacent to the airport in parts of Suffield, East Granby, Windsor and Windsor Locks. Businesses which locate within the zone are eligible for corporate tax credits as well as a five-year, 80 percent local property tax abatement.

The town is also hoping to garner some interest in the former Stevenson Lumber property on Mountain Road and the old Bridge Street School.

“We’re asking for Requests for Expressions of Interest for the Bridge Street School,” McMahon said. “It’s a formal process but it’s not as in-depth as Requests for Proposals.”

The school has not been in use as a school for about ten years, but various organizations have used it for storage.

“It’s in a very prime location adjacent to Suffield Village, on a state route, across the street from plenty of housing, and it’s right in the town center,” McMahon said.

Town officials are looking for mixed-use commercial, office space and retail proposals for the former lumber yard on Mountain Road.

“It’s 25-plus acres, at a signalized intersection, across from the Mountain Road Marketplace with CVS and Subway,” McMahon said. “It’s the largest piece left (to redevelop) in the town center district.”

McMahon said he expects to continue the tours in the future.

“As long as we continue to get positive feedback, and we’ve gotten that each time we’ve run one of these, we’ll be likely to continue it,” he said.

DeMarinis said the tours have been helpful to him and his business.

“It opens up your eyes and your mind to all the different properties,” he said. “One doesn’t usually think of Suffield when it comes to economic development opportunities, but by having these tours, he’s separating himself (from other communities).”

The bus tour leaves the Suffield Country Club, 341 North Main Street, at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, September 28. Golf is a shot-gun start at 1 p.m. To register, call McMahon at (860) 668-3849 or email pmcmahon@suffieldtownhall.com.